Pampore encounter: A 14-year-old daughter lights dad's pyre, two others too young to understand loss

SHIMLA: The last rites of two soldiers from Himachal Pradesh, who lost their lives following a terrorist attack near Srinagar, were performed with full state honours on Monday. CRPF jawan Raj Kumar Rana, 41, was from Mandi, while Lance Naik Om Prakash, 32, belonged to Shimla.

People from surrounding villages thronged Padehar village near Mandi to pay their last respect to Rana. His 14-year-old daughter, Anshita, lit his pyre.

Rana had last visited his village in December and promised to return for his niece's wedding on March 4. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.

Prakash, who belonged to Chikhar village near Shimla, has two daughters -- Muskan, 6, and Simran, 4.

He had joined 5 J&K Rifles and later became part of 9 Para (Commando) battalion after taking up a commando course. His eldest daughter, Muskan, started attending school just 18 months back. Commander of Kasauli Brigade Brigadier Deepak Sharma laid a wreath to salute the soldier. A wreath was also laid on behalf of General Officer Commanding in Chief, Army Training Command, by Brig RS Kochhar.

Two soldiers, Havildar Jagdish Chand and Havildar Sanjeevan Singh Rana, had earlier lost their lives in Pathankot terror attack in January.